New Canaan Family Tradition Continues with Appointment of Katie (Franco) O’Neill to Parking Commission 

A family tradition in New Canaan is set to continue with the appointment last week of a local woman to the Parking Commission. The Board of Selectmen voted 3-0 at its Feb. 5 meeting to appoint Katie O’Neill, née Franco, to the volunteer body. O’Neill’s father had served on the Parking Commission and her brother, Rick, served for decades prior to stepping down in 2020. 

Selectman Steve Karl said, “On Katie, I feel a full circle because my career in service started with her older brother, Rick, on the Parking Commission.”

“I served with Rick on the Parking Commission for years before going onto the [Town] Council,” he continued at the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “And Katie’s a Franco, so she’s lived here her whole life and has intimate knowledge of parking and the way everything works in town.

Commission Forgives $75 Ticket Issued to Man for Parking in Front of Fire Hydrant

Town officials this month voided a $75 ticket that had been issued to a delivery driver who parked in front of a fire hydrant. The Parking Commission voted 4-0 during its Jan. 3 meeting to void the ticket issued to Claudio Pila of Danbury. During an appeal hearing held at Town Hall and via videoconference, Pila told the appointed body that he was dropping off some boxes at That Personal Touch on Main Street when he was issued the ticket at 10:18 a.m. on Nov. 28 (a Tuesday).

Town Upholds $50 Ticket Issued to New Canaan Woman Who Parked on the Sidewalk in Front of Starbucks

Officials last week upheld a $50 ticket issued to a New Canaan woman who parked on the sidewalk in front of Starbucks—a recurring and dangerous violation that must be addressed by the town, they said. Members of the Parking Commission during their regular meeting Jan. 3 voted 4-0 to uphold the ticket issued to Miriam Oh at 10:47 a.m. on Nov. 7 (Election Day). 

During her appeal hearing before the Commission, Oh said she had no idea it wasn’t a legitimate space because she often sees vehicles parked there. “I thought it was the private property of Starbucks to park in that location, because I had seen—and of course, this is no excuse—but part of the reason I thought it was OK was that I had always seen lots of vehicles in that spot,” Oh said during the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. 

Oh said that after receiving the ticket, she began paying attention to the area and “there’s so many people who are parked there all the time,” holding up what appeared to be a composite of photographs showing motorists in violation.

Commission Upholds $30 Ticket Issued to New Driver

Town officials last week upheld a $30 ticket issued to a New Canaan woman who identified herself as a new driver. The fine assessed to Virginia Easley was “my first ever ticket,” she said in an appeal letter that the Parking Commission discussed during its Sept. 6 meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. The town’s Parking Bureau issued the ticket for overstaying in a 15-minute space in the Morse Court Lot, according to Parking Manager Stacy Miltenberg. In her letter, the appellant said, “I was planning on briefly picking up lunch in town, but the wait time was slightly longer than expected, which caused me to briefly exceed the 15 minute parking limit.